Ten professors belonging to SC/ST community on Thursday resigned from their administrative posts in the University of Hyderabad (UoH), in response to the 'fabridcated statements' by Smriti Irani over Rohith Vemula's suicide

Hyderabad: Ten professors belonging to SC/ST community on Thursday resigned from their administrative posts in the University of Hyderabad (UoH), in response to the 'fabridcated statements' by Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani over Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide.

'In response to the Honourable Minister's (Smriti Irani) fabricated statements, we the Dalit (SC/ST) faculty and officers lay down our administrative positions' said a press statement by UoH SC/ST Teachers and Officers Forum.

'We express our solidarity with students who are protesting against the death of Rohith Vemula and demand the immediate revocation of suspension and removal of police cases filed against our students,' it added.

Smriti Irani

The press release further stated, 'It (sub-committee of executive council) was headed by an upper caste professor Vipin Srivastava and there are no Dalit faculty member in the sub-committee.'

'It was headed by an upper caste professor' and there are no Dalit faculties in this subcommittee. Incidentally, the dean of student welfare who happens to be a Dalit was notionally co-opted an an ex-officio member of the committee. It is unfortunate that since its inception, no Dalit representation has been given in this council,' it said.

Irani, had yesterday termed the ongoing protest on Vemula's suicide as 'malicious' the attempt to 'project it as a caste battle'.

'This is not a Dalit versus non-Dalit issue as being projected by some to ignite passion,' Irani told a press conference, while rejecting allegations that her Ministry had put pressure on the University to suspend Vemula.